M110B Discussion - Lecture notes Entire year PDF

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M110B: AF AMER MUSIC HERITAGE Discussion  1/12/17  ● Modern day songs and techniques are adapted and some trace on African American music influence ● Global pop today has some trace of Black music and incorporates some sort of Black music ● Used music to help solve social issues, used as commentary to deal with oppression ○ Lawrence W. Levine from Black Culture and Black consciousness: Culture is “not… a fixed condition but a process: the product of interaction between the past and the present”- a means to “react creatively and responsible to the realities a situation” ■ Music is a process (Chris. Small)-- invented the term m  usicking ● “Call and response” technique ○ Vital to African American musical tradition ○ Black church preacher preaches, and congregation sings back ○ Lead singers and guitar riff ● Black Public Sphere (BPS) ○ Spaces where African Americans in post civil war era, where they came together to discuss the circumstances they find themselves in, and work out how to deal with the situation ■ Consisted of Black spaces such as: Sacred (Black church) and Secular (jook joints) ● Civil rights movement emerges from Black Church ● Music comes out of these two places that responds to social issues coming from oppression of White patriarchal hegemony   WEEK 2 RESPONSE  In Bourbon  Street Black, this article discusses the creation of Jazz music and its influences it’s had in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well has how Jazz came to be. Historically, in the early 18th century, Frenchman, Bienville, arrived with 80 men and settled in “Nouvelle” Orleans. With with their arrival, along came French culture. During this time period, the slave trade was ramping with the establishment of the “Code Noir” which regulated interaction between slaves and owners. As a result, many people, including the slaves were struggling to make a living, so the only way they could make money was through performance of music, specifically jazz. Later in 1803, the United States bought French territory for the use of the Mississippi river and as a result, French culture became even more intertwined within Louisiana.

During this time of French (as well as some Latin) rule and influence, Jazz was becoming more and more popular in Louisiana. From Jazz’s establishment followed the startup of other genres of music,such as ragtime, most notably played by Scott Joplin. Jazz, Ragtime and other genres of music performances helped many musicians earn a living. The “best of the best” performers and bands would be established through competitions, and some performers would migrate to various other places in the United States to start their career. However, some performers weren’t so lucky in their careers; the Great Depression and the abolition of the Red Light District located in Storyville were two main events that put a hold on a lot of aspiring musicians. As a result of these two catastrophic events, Jazz culture within New Orleans was dwindling. However, years passed and in 1940, Hale Brown and other musicians revived jazz, and jazz was up on its feet again, and more popular than ever.  Question: Even though the existence of Storyville was frowned upon by legislature personnel, why did most aspiring musicians depend on its survival and perpetuation?   Week 2 Discussion: Jan 19  Ragtime: syncopated (emphasizing the strong beats) piano style derived from African American Banjo playing that emerged in early 1890s and popular in the US until 1920 ● Banjo: instrument of African origin ● They would reconstruct the instrument in the US because Africans couldn't not bring it on the ship ● Chord: collection of 3 or more notes played together, but you can break up the chord in separate notes called arpeggios (broken notes) ○ Arpeggio: common to banjo and ragtime piano ○ This rhythmic play is typical in African Music ● “To Rag” means to syncopate (playing around with timing of the melody) ○ “Ragging the classics” ● Music was passed on through oral tradition, not sheet music yet. Through minstrel shows, ragtime was disseminated throughout the U.S ● Difficulties with “ragtime” (1890s) ○ 1. Music industry (music publishing) starting to emerge in the U.S ■ Recording developed by 1870s but isn't popular until mid 1890s ■ Music was played on wax cylinders (no CDs) and does not become fix in american homes until late 1890s. ■ Sheet music takes off 1880s-’90s- and how Hit Songs got big ○ 2. Minstrel show- very popular showing ragtime music (How Big Hit Songs got big) but added to racism and stereotyping, and falsely accusing blacks as violent, promiscuous etc. ■ First main entertainment ■ Blackface (offensive and derogatory to african americans)

Thomas Daddy Rice, “Jim Crow” Songs and dances in minstrel shows were “stolen” from blacks b/c whites were the ones performing ○ Cakewalk (parody of whites) created by African Americans mocked the white slave-owners, and featured in Minstrel shows and became popularized. ○ “Re-interpretation”- taking existing music and adding something to it, and make it “your own” is a practice in African AMerican culture. ■ I.e: “Ragging” is re-interpreting music ■ Improvisation: skill that’s very difficult ad takes practice- not random Type of Ragtime: 1. Jig-Rag: Jig is a type of dance, and music developed for dancing to a. Music and dance go hand in hand in african culture (performance and improv) b. Harlem Rag: ● Tom Turpin- first black to publish a Harlem Rag/Stride and performer ● Repeating sections over again and putting variety to it 3. Commercial: Oral to Written sheet music 4. Classic Rag- pioneered by Scott Joplin and publisher John Stark ● Maple  Leaf Rag (1st sheet music to reach 1,000,000 copies sold) ● Features of classic rag: ○ Form : 4 part structure (A,B,C,D) ● 3 variations of Maple Leaf Rag ○ John Stark: would try to remove the racist and stereotypical black portrayal from sheet music ■ ■

 **First published piece to be called Rag in 1897: Mississippi  Rag by William H. Crow  First band to make jazz record: Dixieland  Jazz Band- not creators of jazz, took from Blacks but   Access in Jazz:    WEEK 3 READING RESPONSE  In the chapter, “Wacky State of Affairs: The Depression, Swing Era and Revolt”, in Burton W. Penetti’s Creation  of Jazz: Music, Race and Culture in Urban America, he discusses how the Great Depression in 1929 vastly affected Jazz musicians (for better

and for worse) and the aftermath of this event. The Great Depression of 1929 made many successful and starting-off jazz musician careers plummet due to obvious reasons. Many African American jazz musicians were involved in Local 208 and relied on this organization to support their career, but the organization and the people were just skidding by due to lack of funds. On top of the calamitous event of the Great Depression, the repealment of the Prohibition in 1933 caused a lot of jazz musicians suffering- as their music and entertainment was no longer needed at clubs and brothels. During this time of economic disparity, many musicians had to find new and slightly unusual ways to make a living such as opening up dry cleaners, working at speakeasies and nightclubs etc. Towards the end of the Great Depression, jazz musicians who became successful had to start from the ground up again. New York City was notoriously known as the “hot inferno” where their music career could either become a great success, or huge failure. New York City was full of record companies, but the only 2 that survived was Victor and Columbia, which was eventually subsumed by RCA and CBS. Just when jazz musicians thought their careers would take off again after the Depression, their careers did quite the opposite due to contracts being disputed and jazz band radio opportunity limited their exposure. After small independent jazz musicians struggled to make a living and jazz culture was slowly plummeting, the Big Band Era rose in 1935-1947. Some notable Big Band’s include Bob Crosby, Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. However, the small, independent jazz musicians refused to join the Big Band’s because originality and improvisation of typical jazz was lost. Big Band leaders were also criticized because they were known for their “business acumen” instead of musicians. But Just when jazz culture was thought to be lost after the Great Depression, jazz culture was revived through commercialization of music and the birth of the Big Band Era.  Question: Why was the existence of Recording Companies/Labels crucial to aspiring and up-and-coming jazz musicians?    Week 3 Discussion: Jan 26  New Orleans in 1890s ● Founding Jazz bands were called Ragtime bands ○ The term jazz Conditions that led to the emergence of jazz: ● Lots of culture, french and spanish, people coming from Caribbean, masters and slaves arriving from Africa, native american influence, migrants from mexico but most importantly, the African Influence (free black/free creole population

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Creoles of color: product of racial mixing, miscegenation, between white masters of french/spanish descent and african descended slaves with lighter complexion and more privileged than people of straight african descent UP TO the civil war Many creoles were sent to europe to get formal musical education 3 tiered racial order unique in New Orleans compared to the rest of the U.S : White, Black and Creoles of Color After Civil War: Creole and Black Musicians (Louisiana legislative code 111, any person with ANY black ancestry strips- creoles of color NOW have the same legal status and restrictions of regular Africans) ■ Now, Blacks and Creoles of color had to work together ● Creole musicians more oriented towards reading what's on the sheet music ● Blacks oriented with oral tradition, they are “ragging & jazzing” Jazz emerges from Creole and Black musicians working together (Storyville)Red light district in 1897- segregated area from the french quarter ■ Buddy Bolden- musicians who makes his name in Storyville and credited as the first jazz musician (Creole ethnicity, but played like a Black) ● Known for his booming, “ratty” sound on the river Congo Square: a time of leisure for black slaves to practice their ancestral culture from Africa; had distinct African American style Collective improvisation: primary approach where everyone is adding their own spin on the music at the same time

 Women and Blues   What attracted the ealry blues women careers on vaudeville circut? What sort of image, person did they have for themeselves?  ● Feel free on the vaudeville stage, center of attention because they could sing the blues and dance ● joined the circuits to escape taboos and the conformity of society, had a tough time integrating themselves, but once Vaudeville became popularized, the negative stereotypes were stripped ● Notable:Like Bessie Smith, Ida Cox (, Mamie Smith, Ma Rainey), Koko Taylor (These shoes may not fit my feet or your feet, but they’ll fit someone's feet) ● Persona and image for themselves: ○ They made everyone feel the blues ○ Confident, sexually free, felt the vibe

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They made everyone feel the blues Presented glam and glamour, being in control of their own sexual beliefs

 Blues: ● mostly male, voice and guitar performers ● Blues comes largely from field hollers, and communicating the struggle and settle protest against the struggle (“coded protests”/”hidden transcripts”)--> double entendres like “jelly roll” that are coded words and phrases ● AAB form (first line x2, 3rd line response) ○ 12 bar blues: written down, first blues composer in sheet music, “W.C Handy” (St. Louis Blues) ○ Music isn't recorded until it's published ● Vocal Blues recorded in 1920 ● Classic/Vaudeville blues accompanies with band and female vocalist ○ Emerges later than rural blues   What are the blues? What purpose do they serve and what kind of message do they communicate? ● Form of healing, music was a way to show the feelings that blacks thought but couldn’t say. Its emotional and raw ● Music that represents despair, endurance, struggle, music was cathartic and helped them with the suffering  What are some of the historical, cultural and political circumstances that led to the emergence and development of the blues? ● Emerges post emancipation from threats from whites and prevented recently freed blacks from doing what they want to do ● Even though there's more places to work and be; blues emerged to the realities of what was happening to the blacks ● Migration from South to North, and a lot of discrimination and influenced how women sang the songs ○ “Jim Crow” Laws- racial oppression and segregation terror and violence that were being perpetuated by Whites ● Prohibition created bootleg clubs for musicians to perform, minstrel and coon shows discriminated ● phonographs   Struggles that blues women faced; ● Music reflected black power and were often compared to the male counterparts unfairly ● Singing about experience and context in which they are singing 

 WEEK 4 READING RESPONSE  In the reading, “African American Music: Introduction of Rhythm and Blues” written by Portia K. Maultsby, she discusses the birth and evolution of the music genre, Rhythm and Blues (R&B) in the United States. R&B evolved during World War II as a response to two main social contexts: the military draft and the Second Great Migration of African Americans during the 1940s-’70s. When hundreds of men were being drafted from their homes in the U.S for the war, many existing bands in which they were a part of, disintegrated and left abandoned. In response, the development of smaller groups that contained fewer members formed bands containing the music of Bebop and R&B. Bebop music was a combination of the jazz improvised style that evolved from the big band swing music in the 1940s. Through these two prominent social events, R&B was born. Not only was R&B popular in the Northeastern part of the US (as a result of Migration), but quickly disseminated all throughout the country. As a result, R&B reflected the emergence of varying regional styles from where the migrants migrated from- R&B had slightly different undertones/styles that depended on where the migrants came from; this was more commonly called territory jazz bands. West coasters had trios and jump combos, but the Southeast had urban blues influence. R&B emerged from venues like trios and combos in clubs and brothels. Trios contained a piano, bass and guitar player that served as entertainment for after-hour clubs whereas larger clubs practiced the combo style which contained more band members. During this time, many recording companies were opening up left and right to support the capitalizing popularity of the blues and jazz. Recording companies such as Chess and Vee-Jay gave opportunity to rising blues players- in fact, Los Angeles (where these two companies were located, became the first hub for production of black R&B). On the East coast, Cincinnati also became a major hub for production of R&B, with the establishment of the King Records. King Records contributed to the change from R&B, to the gospel and the blues, and gave way to the formation of “Atlantic Sounds”. In New York City, Atlantic Records was founded in 1947 and targeted primarily teenage groups as they combined a boogie-woogie bass line to a unique Rumba rhythm, with the famous big bang horned style music… this signature music became the Atlantic Sound. In New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C and Chicago, vocal harmony groups began to flourish. There were traces of a cappella group in the later 1870s, but it wasn't until the late 1930s where a capella group began to sing on radios. By the mid-1950s, R&B became a very popular music for black teenagers as they became R&B’s top consumers, but the genre of R&B became a staple to most Blacks in America. Discussion Question: Why was Rhythm and Blues (R&B) such an interesting and one-of-a-kind type of music during its time? Compared to other types of music genres, what social/political contexts added to R&B’s “uniqueness” compared to other genres?

 Week 4: Feb 2  Video: “Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five”:

 Bridging Jump Blues with Gospel to form R&B  ● Dubbed “King of Juke Box” and King of Rock n’ Roll, “Father of R&B” ● Arrived in NYC in 1935 and his music broke through ● Rock n ROll hall of fame inductee ● Joined Vaudeville and Minstrel in Arkansas when he was young ○ Was known for his comedic acts and singing ● 1930-1936: worked as sideman for an orchestra in NYC (Armstrong) ● Chick Webb hired Jordan to play alto Sax in his band with Ella Fitzgerald as lead vocalist ● 1938- Jordan led his own band and signed with Decca  Records  and since then, him and his band became very famous ○ His band: Tempany 5 ● Many race record companies dropped labels from Depression and Pearl Harbour→ Decca Records dropped label from Pearl Harbour (stopped selling material for records, shellac) and Tympany 5 fizzled out ○ His song “5 Guys Named Moe” was famous song ■ Played Combo (drums, bass piano, and singer) ○ **“Caldonia”: first to use music and video ■ “Honey Child”?, “Buzz me”?, “If you can’t smile, and say yes”, “Beware” ● Jordan’s music made people feel good, and made them dance ● Often played at the Embassy Club ● “Is you is, or is you ain’t my baby” was a TOP hit for Jordan and sung by Nat King Cole ● Most of his top hits occurred during the mid 1940s ● Jordan booked many famous singers ● Jordan “Created” Rock n Roll of the 50s replaced Boogie Shuffle Beats of the 40s ○ Elvis Presley influenced by his genre of music ● Driving force for entertainment business, successful on tv, film, radio, king

WEEK 5 READING RESPONSE  In the article titles “Riding on a Blues Notes” written by Gary Giddins, it discusses how Elvis Presley was influenced by Otis Blackwell. Ironically enough, some critics of Elvis Presley believe that if it weren’t for Otis Blackwell’s existence and huge influence on Elvis, he would never have been such a powerful and well known performer. Of course everyone knows infamous Elvis Presley, but perhaps Otis Blackwell is a little less known- he is an African American male, born in Brooklyn New York in 1932. His career consisted of a lot of failures and successes, but is now dubbed “Rock n’ Roll's

most influential songwriter”. Through 1956 to the early 1960s, Elvis Presley and Otis Blackwell fed off each other's talent , with vocal styles extremely similar that it raised questions of if Elvis was copying Otis’ songs and demos. This questions was answered after famous and notable jazz drummist named Panama Francis strongly believed that Elvis’ vocals and arrangements were identical to Otis’... Elvis’ manager confirmed this accusation that Elvis copied Blackwell’s arrangements off the demos. Even though this may be seen as plagiarism, there was a perfectly good explanation for this: Elvis couldn't read so he had no choice but to copy someone else’s music. Weirdly enough, Otis Blackwell was well aware of Elvis’ doings but didn't seem to mind because Otis enjoyed the backstage stuff rather than performing. So , Otis continues to write catchy rock n’ roll music, and Elvis continued to put his spin on the songs and perform them for millions to here. Elvis’ managers can confirm that he was very influenced by Otis’ ability to hit high notes and keep up with fast tempos while singing. Strangely enough, Otis passed up many opportunities to meet Elvis in person due to Elvis not living up to Otis’ expectations. It was during this time that Otis would perform in ameautur shows and write songs for Shalimar Music company, but grew discouraged as it was Elvis that made majority of Otis’ songs big. During this time of this ironic Elvis-Blackwell duo, minstrel shows were booming. Even Elvis and Blackwell performed in minstrel shows after vaudeville died off. However ironically and sadl...